Losing weight is a marathon, not a sprint, but that doesn’t mean that once you reach your goal weight, the race is over. Weight maintenance can be just as hard to do as shedding the pounds was in the first place.
There are a few keys to success when it comes to long-term weight loss. Here, we’ll share our top five so that you can incorporate these best practices into your daily life to help you both achieve and keep the results you desire.
Exercise Daily
Whether you’re looking to lose weight or maintain what you’ve lost, daily exercise is essential to living your healthiest lifestyle. It’s recommended that you get moving at a moderate effort for between 150 and 300 minutes (2 1/2 and 5 hours) per week. When you break it up, that equals between 30 and 45-minutes daily of moderate cardiovascular activity. This will help you burn fat, and support healthy function of your cardiovascular system including your heart and lungs.
You should also aim to add in strength training of all your major muscle groups at least two days per week to create strong, shapely muscles and maintain your bone density.
Eat Breakfast
Studies have shown that participants who have the most success maintaining their weight loss over the long-term eat breakfast daily at home. Making a nutritious choice in the morning will start your day off on the right foot and deliver the energy and nutrients your body needs to burn fat and boost your metabolism throughout the day. Aim for a meal that includes protein, fat, and carbohydrates like an IsaLean Shake, or a hardboiled egg, oatmeal and a banana for the best benefits.
Stay Consistent with Eating Habits
Weekends can be a challenging time to make good nutritional choices, but people who were most successful with losing and keeping off their kilograms made an effort to be consistent with their eating habits throughout the week. Meals on the weekends were similar to what they ate on the weekdays, thereby keeping their energy intake relatively constant and without added treats and sweets.
Turn off the TV
The National Weight Control Registry reports that study participants who have lost an average of 30 kg and have kept the weight off for over five years watch less than 10 hours of television per week. We all know it’s easy to get sucked into a show and the next thing you know, you’ve had a 10-hour Netflix binge in one day. Try turning off the television to inspire you to get moving. Your waistline will thank you.
Weigh Yourself Once a Week
Obsessively stepping on the scale can be detrimental to weight loss, but keeping tabs on your weight is a critical step in maintaining your physique. In the same survey by the National Weight Control Registry, participants reported self-monitoring their weight once weekly to keep an eye on their progress. This is an excellent way to make as-needed adjustments to prevent fat from creeping back onto your frame and sabotaging all your hard work.